Quadruped Dogs, Parking Bots, and Mowers Ship While Humanoids Wait
While the AI industry fixates on humanoid robots as the next frontier, the commercial robotics deals shipping this week tell a different story: quadrupeds, flat-bed parking bots, and autonomous lawnmowers are finding real revenue in real…
Europe's Humanoid Robotics Gap Widens as Unitree Surges
Unitree's blockbuster Shanghai listing and the scale of the 2026 World Robot Conference landed in the same week as Germany's leading engineering lobby declared a continental emergency — a convergence that frames humanoid robotics less as a…
Waymo Opens Next-Gen Ojai Robotaxi to All Riders in Three Cities
Waymo has opened its next-generation robotaxi, the Ojai, to all riders in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco . The rollout marks a commercial milestone for the Alphabet subsidiary as it transitions from its modified Jaguar I-Pace…
Unitree's Robot Dogs Built on U.S. Army-Funded Research, Reuters Investigation Finds
China's Unitree Robotics based designs for its most successful robot dogs on innovations funded by the U.S. military, according to a former U.S. defense technology official and three top researchers involved in the original projects . The…
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RANKED · 10 THIS DAYUnitree IPO Surges 460% as 2026 World Robot Conference Opens in Beijing
Unitree debuted on Shanghai's STAR Market on August 19, the same day the 2026 World Robot Conference opened in Beijing, with shares surging 629.44% to 1,100 yuan ($163) at their peak before closing at 845 yuan — a 460.3% gain that valued…
Uber, Pony.ai, and Verne Launch Autonomous Rides in Zagreb — Uber's First in Europe
Uber, Pony.ai, and Verne launched autonomous rides in Zagreb on August 20, 2026, making the Croatian capital the first European city where riders can book a self-driving vehicle through the Uber app . The service is available in key areas…
Tesla Robotaxi Drives Through Bollards in Austin With Passengers Aboard
An unsupervised Tesla Robotaxi in Austin, Texas, drove through a row of plastic bollards protecting a closed-off curb extension while carrying passengers, according to video footage posted to the r/SelfDrivingCars subreddit by user…
Uber Launches Baidu Apollo Go Driverless Robotaxis in Dubai
Baidu's fully driverless Apollo Go robotaxis are now live on the Uber platform in Dubai, marking the first real-world deployment of Uber's multi-partner autonomous vehicle network on public roads . The service launched on August 20, with…
Kazakhstan Breaks Ground on First Humanoid Robot Factory with AgiBot
Kazakhstan broke ground on August 18 on its first robotics and AI production complex in Astana, a facility built by QAZBOT Technologies that will combine R&D, software and AI model development, testing, adaptation, and localized production…
Rivian Spinout Also Raises $150M Series D for Autonomous Driving
Also Inc., the micromobility startup that spun out of Rivian, has raised $150 million in a Series D round led by Prysm Capital to accelerate its autonomous driving development . The funding follows a $200 million round Also announced in…